Accreditation in Forensic DNA Analysis

Abstract

Application of DNA analysis in criminal casework has shown in the past 25 years that quality control and quality assurance are an essential part to ensure the validity of DNA typing results. Over the years, standards have been formulated by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis and by the DNA Advisory Board in the United States, which serve as a guideline for implementing a quality system in a forensic DNA laboratory. These efforts are the first step toward accreditation, which until now has been a voluntary process in many countries. In 2009, the European Council Justice and Home Affairs reached an agreement on mandatory accreditation of forensic service providers providing laboratory activities in fingerprinting and DNA profiling in the European Union. These forensic laboratories have to be accredited according to accreditation standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for testing and calibration laboratories. This standard has also been accepted since 2009 by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board, the major accreditation body for forensic laboratories in the United States.